University of Minnesota Wrestling Coach Is In Hot Water After Being Caught Trying To Handle Xanax Drug Ring Internally

Since it seems appropriate, I’m going to let Ray start us off on this one.

Thanks Ray.

Via Star Tribune:

“Gophers wrestling coach J Robinson collected about 1,400 pills of the prescription sedative Xanax that members of his team were ready to sell, yet did not report the drug issue to police, one wrestler told the Star Tribune on Wednesday … The wrestler, who spoke to the Star Tribune on the condition of anonymity, said he talked to police about Robinson’s handling of the team’s Xanax issue. The source said that at one point, four teammates had a stash of 2,500 Xanax pills they had obtained in the mail from a former teammate and were selling from the 17th Avenue Hall dormitory on campus.

“It was $5 a pill for anyone on the team and $8 for anyone else,” said the source, who estimates that 10 to 12 members of the team were abusing Xanax. He said wrestlers also sold pills to athletes from other Gophers sports.

In late March, less than one week after the season ended, Robinson called a team meeting, the source said.

“We thought it was a typical meeting with J,” the source said. “But then he started saying, ‘I know who’s taking the pills, I know who’s selling them, I know who’s stealing them … It’s Easter weekend. I’ll be in my office Friday, Saturday and Sunday. If you’re involved, come and tell me. If you have any pills, bring them to my office and I’ll dispose of them, and I’ll give you amnesty. Half of it went in the river, and half of it went to J. I know for a fact the people who were selling it dumped it and gave him about 1,400 [pills].” The source did not elaborate on the dumping location.

The source told the Star Tribune, “I only [spoke to police] because I felt like it was the right thing to do.””

Now, we have to put on Robinson’s shoes here. If you were in charge of the wellbeing of a group of young men who you suddenly found out had been selling Xanax on the side, would you turn them in and go down with them or try and right the ship as best you could? Obviously you’re going to try and figure this out without involving the authorities. Kids you were in charge of actually went out and became drug dealers. What the hell do you think is going to happen to you? It’s like when you’re left in charge of your little brother and he breaks a family heirloom. You’re not blaming him because then you’re parents are going to start asking where you were when he was able to get his hands on said heirloom. You’re going to cover that shit up right along with him.

So, I sympathize with Robinson. But also, like Ray said, there are some things you can cover up and some things you can’t. Running an underground college drug ring is probably one of those ‘can’ts’. Especially when you’re in a situation where the same kids you’re trying to help out are going to turn around and talk to both the police and the press. That’s why you keep your crew small. The more eggs in your basket, the higher the odds that one of them is going to be a bad one.

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